She Grew Up to Be a Poet
More angel than Medusa,
no temple serpents licking
clean her ears of dark words’
fates, no ill- or fork-tongued
Cassandra she, the child hears
her future sure: swirls of stuttered
combinations of letters unstrung,
her own sweet-voiced Calliope
cajoling the spells of imagination’s
epic rides through landscapes hued
in green, metered in dotted staccato riffs.
Her paper tablet harnessed loose,
she plucks her language branch
till bare, verses stacked on back
of butterflies, their wings ink-dipped,
rendering impressions silent.
Illustration by Shelley Kommers Luna. Used with permission. Poem by Maureen Doallas, author of Neruda’s Memoirs: Poems.
___________
Buy a year of Every Day Poems, just $2.99— Read a poem a day, become a better poet. In May we’re exploring the theme Roses.
Author and business websites, personal blogs. Custom look, at a reasonable price. 
More time, less worry. We help creative minds and lives 
BEAUTIFUL DAY
its a beautiful day today
rain is pouring down
sky is dark and gray
joy and love abound
rain cannot wash away
happiness that is found
whatever comes along
if trouble lies ahead
have a happy song
to take the place of dread
we have a life to live
to do the best we can
to love, to help, to give
all part of an unseen plan written by suzanne schrader
Maureen’s work always amazes me. I especially like when she writes in pairs of lines.
letters fly
they flutter by
glide like a bird on the wing
catch and string them
into words
fill the mind
with delicate things
Monica, thank you. That one took me a looong time to write.
Suzanne, thank you for contributing “Beautiful Day”; you make rhyming look easy.
Nance, glad you were able to catch a few of those letters that “fly” and “flutter” and share the words here.
Maureen. . .luscious. That is all I can say!
Forgetting you is impossible but that’s what I must do
It’s better that I wait to say “I’ve fallen in love with you”.
I have one basic firm belief, to myself I must be true
But I forgot that you must also, when I fell in love with you.
I know that you’re in love with Jess, on that I’ll place no strain
I only want your happiness so my feelings, in check, remain.
I am moved when I am close to you, how could I not be?
You’re a true friend and you’re beautiful, the perfect woman for me.
I don’t know if I’ll say this, if we should ever part
But if I do, just know that you, forever have my heart.
Her paper tablet harnessed loose, / she plucks her language branch / till bare … Oh, I wish I’d written that!